Nashville schools Superintendent Shawn Joseph wants to phase in a budget proposal that focuses Title I funds solely on the district's neediest schools, a decision that comes after considerable parent backlash about next year's budget.

Joseph made the announcement to principals on Thursday during a district meeting.

"We recognize we must give our highest needs schools more dollars to address their students' needs and initial budgets were provided with an adjustment to our Title I allocation," says a district document handed out to principals. "We have since decided that the adjustment was too sudden and did not allow schools enough planning time so we have decided to phase in those changes."

The change to his 2018-19 budget proposal means that schools with populations with 50 to 74 percent low-income students will still receive a portion of the federal funds next year.

Title I funds are federal money meant to supplement schools that teach low-income students.

"No schools that received Title I this year will be cut in the following year," Joseph said on Thursday during a Metro Council committee hearing.

Joseph's initial proposal, which has caused plenty of pushback from some board members and parents, called to focus Title I money solely on schools with populations of 75 percent or more low-income students.

It would have meant 49 schools were to lose federal funds under the proposal, while 87 schools would have seen a boost in funds. Joseph, however, said every school but six would get more per-pupil funding under his proposal.

Still, the proposal remained controversial as some budgets across the district were cut by about 4 percent. Enrollment decreases are also driving some dips in school budgets, Joseph has said.

Joseph's full budget will be released on March 28.

Adding to the outcry was news that the district is seeing a $7.5 million shortfall in this year's budget due lower than expected enrollment. The budget shortfall has prompted his administration to call for hiring, travel and purchasing freezes.

It has also caused school board members to call for an audit of Joseph's spending. Nashville auditor tentatively agreed to look into Joseph's spending.

The documents that were given to principals also detailed the impact of charter schools on the district's budget.

The document says $111 million, or 12.6 percent of the district's budget, went to charter schools this year. In the 2018-19 fiscal year, $125 million is expected to go to charter schools, but that amount is expected to remain stagnant in future years as charter growth levels off, the document says.

Reach Jason Gonzales at jagonzales@tennessean.com and on Twitter @ByJasonGonzales.